Coast Salish Peoples and The Waterways

Coast Salish region.

Children Create a map of Coast Salish Region, including canoes and fish holes.

Now that we have experienced many ways that we can be aware of how we use water and conserve water, it was a logical step to explore the importance of waterways to the coast salish peoples.  My first question, children do you know who the Coast Salish people are and where they live?  "I think we are Coast Salish because I know we live on the Westcoast." says Lysander.  I agreed that we lived near the coast too but then I let him know that Coast Salish peoples are First Nations peoples with a history that ties them to the Coast.  To further explore this, we water a video called Water is Worth it.

This video is only 16 seconds long.  I demonstrated how long 16 seconds is "1 mississippi..." etc.  Through their protestations, I played the movie once and then something interesting happended.  "Can you stop it here" Orin pointed.  Now the children were directing me, shouting for when I was to stop, so that they could repeat the importance information:

1.water guards our fish-holes

2. water purifies our air

3. water grows the food we eat

4. water is the lifeblood of everything around us

When I asked what "water is the lifeblood of everything around us means." the answer was awe 

inspiring:

Orin - We have blood inside of us

Lysander - When we get a cut, we need a bandaid because we bleed.

Orin - So water is so important is it's like blood of the Earth

What a humble reminder for me!  Children are full of potential.  They are competent and capable of building their own theories.  As the supervising adult,  it's my responsibility to create a space that nurtures their potential.